Saturday, January 08, 2011

LAUSD BOARD POISED TO APPOINT JOHN DEASY AS NEW SUPERINTENDENT

By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer | LA Daily News |

01/06/2011 08:16:35 PM PST/Updated: 01/07/2011 02:32:01 PM PST | The Los Angeles Unified school board is expected to officially appoint John Deasy – the district's current No. 2 – as superintendent on Tuesday, according to district sources.

Deasy was recruited last year from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was being groomed as the likely successor to Superintendent Ramon Cortines, who announced he was retiring this spring.

Cortines had already vacated his office for his deputy superintendent, so the move was widely expected. Terms of Deasy's contract, including salary and length of term, were still being negotiated. He is expected to take office 90 days after the contract is signed, which board members expect to happen by Tuesday.

A New England native, Deasy had previously served as superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland from 2006 to 2008 and had earlier stints heading Santa Monica-Malibu Unified and Coventry Public Schools in Rhode Island.

He would become the district's fourth superintendent in five years, and would have to face massive budgetary problems while continuing to implement controversial school reform proposals such as School Choice, while mediating conflicts with charter schools over use of district space and funds.

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